Nightmare
by Madpsychohatter
Summary: Just a little family bounding between Kenshin and Yahiko. Oneshot, set after the episode 18. Yahiko can't forgive himself for what happened, can a little talk with Kenshin help him ?


Maddey : If I have an obsession with rurouni Kenshin….? HAHAHAHAHAHA ! yes. U_U

But seriously, the way Kenshin talk in English is just impossible! RHAAA ! o

Forgive my mistakes please ^^"

And thanks for reading!

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NIGHTMARE

Yahiko jolted upright, panting heavily.

A nightmare .He had saw Kenshin die, because he had stolen the samurai's sword.

He shivered. He had almost killed his idol. He had almost killed the man he considered almost as his father now. He had…

Tears began to gather in his eyes. No matter how much he pushed them back. He felt them rolling down his cheeks and retrained a sob. He curled into a ball on his futon, his arms around his chest, hiccupping.

He couldn't forgive himself. Kenshin had forgiven him but…it was his fault. If he hadn't stole this sword…if he hadn't let his ego get the better of him then nothing would have happened! He wouldn't have betrayed the trust of the man he looked up to!

Did Kenshin despise him now? Was Kenshin angry? Yahiko curled even further. He desperately wanted to know but he couldn't find the courage to ask. He was too afraid of the answer. Afraid that it was the one he feared. Afraid that he would lose the family he had found.

Because no matter how much they argued, he, in a way, saw Kaoru as his mother, or rather big sister. Sano…he was the best figure of a brother that Yahiko could picture in his mind. They were always arguing, pushing each other but in the end, Sano always protected him. Megumi-chan was like an aunt.

And then…there was Kenshin: the man who was his idol, his hero. The man he looked up to and the most paternal figure around.

He stood up; already knowing that it was fruitless to try to fall asleep again. Nightmares plagued him since this day, and it had been two days already. His body was beginning to show the lack of sleep… He stretched and went outside; maybe a walk in the city would calm him?

"Yahiko, where are you going? It's not safe to go alone at night, that it isn't." a voice rang up behind him. A voice he knew too well.

"K-Kenshin!" he cried out, turning around to face the swordsman sitting down near the door, his beloved sakabato (1) resting on his laps and shoulder. He stood in the shadow, making it impossible for Yahiko to see his expression. Yahiko stood silent for a moment, looking at his feet.

"I believe I asked a question, that I did." said the former hitokiri (2).

"It's nothing…" muttered Yahiko. The swordsman shifted slightly, so that the light coming from the bright full moon upon them would make him visible. His eyes were soft.

"I believe it could be important, that I do." he said. Yahiko jumped, taken aback. He didn't want to answer this question. How could he avoid it….."Yahiko." the stern tone in Kenshin's voice made him jump once more. "What are you hiding from me? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Yahiko looked at his feet, still silent. Kenshin had stopped speaking in his weird manner….so it meant that he was serious. He head Kenshin sigh, and then a small sound made him look up. Kenshin was patting the floor beside him, as a sign for the younger to join him.

Once they were both sitting down, Kenshin spoke again. "You're not sleeping well recently, am I right?" Yahiko turned his head toward the man in surprise. He had though that he was perfectly silent…The former Battosaï chuckled. "I have a very good hearing Yahiko. You couldn't possibly think of hiding it from me. Beside, you look tired. Kaoru-dono(3) didn't notice anything so I didn't ask before, but you can't fool me. Now tell me, what's wrong? "

Yahiko shrieked his head in his shoulders. He grabbed his clothed so tight that his phalanx became white. "I-I…" he stuttered. "I've been having nightmares recently." The man stayed silent, waiting for the younger to continue. "About…when I stole the sakabato…I though you would die, and that it was going to be my fault and…I was afraid that you would be angry at me…"he trailed off and shut his eyes, waiting for the scold that would follow. Instead, he felt a hand on his head and looked up to his idol, who had a small smile on his face. "But I have forgiven you, haven't I Yahiko? I was angry, but you know that you shouldn't do it again, and you admitted your faults, so I'm not mad. Now the question is: did you forgive yourself? "

Yahiko's shoulder tensed at this instant. Goddammit. Kenshin was reading him like an open book.

"No…I guess no…" he whispered. He was suddenly pulled against a warm, strong chest. Strong arm were holding him and he found himself clutching Kenshin's shirt tightly. He didn't realize that he was crying until he heard himself sobbing. The swordsman quietly hold him while he cried, cried his frustration and his shame, cried because he had though that he would lose the man. He cried in these strong arms that made him felt safe. Safer than he had ever been.

He cried until he had no more tears to share. And the former hitokiri was still holding him tightly. He pulled back a little bit. "Sorry…I wet your shirt…" he whined.

"It's not a problem, Yahiko that it isn't." Soft purple eyes shone when his hero looked down to him. "Are you feeling any better?" Yahiko nodded shyly. He stood up to go back to bed. He still had a few hours before sunrise and he was exhausted.

"Yes...Thanks Kenshin" he said, smiling brightly. He opened the door and was about to go back in. "Goodnight…dad." he said quickly before closing the door behind him and hurried toward his room, his cheeks burning. Oh god, he had really said that? He hid under his blanket, trying to sleep.

Kenshin was still outside, too stunned to do anything. Did Yahiko just called him…dad? A warm feeling spread through his chest. He smiled and looked up at the moon. "Tomoe…" he whispered. "Did you saw this too?" He looked back at the door when Yahiko had disappeared. He stood up and silently went toward Yahiko's bedroom. He slowly opened the door to find the boy hidden under the covers. To prevent any suffocation, Kenshin removed a little bit the blanket, letting the head of the boy out. He smiled and brushed a stray of hair out of the younger's face. "Goodnight…son." he whispered before standing up again and going back to guard the entrance. He knew that the boy was wide awake, for his ki was troubled. But it didn't matter, he decided, smiling at the moon. He had, in a way, found a son.

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NOTES :

(1): a sakabato is a reverse-blade sword.

(2): A hitokiri is a manslayer

(3): "-dono" is a term for politeness in Japan.

Maddey: Eeeeh, since I watched and read Rurouni Kenshin, I can't help but to think that Yahiko is, in a way, Kenshin's first son. And I just wanted to write some family fluff about these two ^^

Review please? :3


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